Painting roller of the detachable sleeve type



g- 1950 E. E. THOMAS ET AL PAINTING ROLLER OF THE DETACHABLE SLEEVE TYPEFiled Dec. 10, 1947 INVENTORS Earl E Thomas BYSZand] y 7. (70143111411 3ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 29, 195% SLEEVE TYPE PAINTING ROLLER OF THEDETACHABLE Earl E. Thomas, Detroit, and Standly T. Coughlan. Dear-born,Mich., assignors to Thomas Roller Painting Equipment Corporation, acorporation of Michigan Application December 10, 1947, Serial No.790,748

This invention relates to roller appliances for reduced diameter by anapplicator tube,' being thus stressed to hold the tube firmly in place.

Another object is to provide means for springing said roller to aslightly reduced diameter prior to installing an applicator tube, thusreducing the contraction to be imposed by the tube and rendering iteasier to apply "the tube.

Another object is to employ caps slipped on the roller endsto reduce theroller diameter prior to installing the applicator tube and to furtherutilize such caps as Journal bearings mounting a shaft at the rolleraxis.

Another object is to reduce the roller end portions sufliciently toavoid interference by said caps with a firm mounting of the applicatortube on the roller.

Another object is to so notch the roller end portions as to interruptthe annular shoulders incident to the reduced roller ends, thus largelyeliminating the stiffening effect of said shoulders.

Another object is to so form the rims of said caps that they may beencountered by'an applicator tube, as the latter is slipped on or offthe roller, without materially impeding such tube.

These and various other objects are attained by the constructionhereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of our improved applicator, partiallyin section.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the roller of the applicator.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a modified type of roller whichmay be substituted for that illustrated in Fig. 2.

In these views, the reference character I designates a roller formed ofresilient sheet metal or like material and slotted from end to end, asindicated at 2, to permit contraction of said roller. A tube 3,preferably of fibrous material and having considerable stiffness, formsthe core of a coating-receiving and applying sleeve 1 of felt or othermaterial having a suitable pile, said tube being proportioned topredeterminedly compress the roller,'when slipped thereon. Prior toreceiving the tube 3, however, the roller is placed under a slightcompression by applying a 15 Claims. (Cl. 1527) pair of caps 5 to theroller extremities said caps having peripheral flanges 5a to embracesaid extremities. In order that the tube 3 will primarily engage theroller I rather than said caps, the cap-receiving extremities 6 areslightly reduced in diameter and the flanges 5a thus lie at leastslightly inward from the exterior face of the roller. The describedreduction of the roller extremities forms substantially frusto-conicalshoulders I adjoining said extremities and these tend to materiallystiffen the roller and detract from its necessary resiliency. Suchstiffening effect is very largely eliminated by forming each extremity Gwith a plurality of notches 8 of suilicient extent to interrupt theshoulders '1. Such notches, in maintaining the intended resiliency ofthe roller, also distribute such resiliency circumferentially of theroller.

The capst are centrally apertured to engage a shaft t and journal theroller on such'shaft, the roller and caps beingrestrained from slidingon or escaping from the shaft by enlargements ii and i l on the shaft,washers i la being preferably disposed between the caps and saidenlargements. The enlargement ii is formed terminally of the shaft andthe adjacent cap 5 has a central indentation 92 receivingsaid-enlargement, so that the latter may not scratchor mar any structureon which the appliance is used. The shaft is preferably formed as anintegral extension of a shank i3 carrying the handle it of theappliance. said shank being elongated substantially transversely to theroller, equidistantly from the roller ends, and being joined to theshaft as indicated at it. It is preferred to form the flanges 5a of amaximum diameter in a spaced relation to their ends, gradually reducingthe diameter toward both ends. This assures that the caps will notobstruct the tube 3 as it is being slid on or oil the roller. (See Fig.1.) In assembling the roller and caps on the shaft, it is preferred tofirst apply the caps to the roller ends, and then slip the capped rolleron the shaft until the leading cap encounters the enlargement ill,previously formed on the shaft. The shaft is then terminally upset at Hto maintain the assembly.

The caps 5 by imposing an initial compression on the roller, materiallyeduce the total compression necessary to firmly mount the tube andconsequently said tube is easily applied. In applying the tube 3 to theroller, the resultant compression of the latter of course relieves thegrip of the flanges 5a on the roller ends, affording the roller a slightradial play within said flanges. Such play is no detriment, and the caps1 will still turn with the roller when the latter with its tube 3 andsleeve 4 is pressed against and travels on a surface to be painted. Saidcaps moreover so close the ends of the roller l and tube 3 as to preventpaint or the like accumulating in such ends.

The construction lends itself to low cost quantity production, the'caps5 being simple stamplugs, and the roller being readily stamped with.

the shoulder I and notches 8, prior to rolling same to cylindrical form.

The roller lb illustrated in Fig. 3 has reduced extremities 6b andannular shoulders lb as in the first-described roller, and is similarlyresiliently contractible and expansible. In place of being slotted fromend to end, however, the roller lb has two slots i6, spirally extendingfrom opposite ends of the roller and spaced substan tially 180 degreesapart, each extending more than one-half the roller length. This permitsof such contraction and expansion as is necessary for our purpose. Thestiffening effect of the shoulders lb is largely eliminated in thismodification through interrupting each shoulder by a plurality ofapertures 11 spaced circumferentially of such shoulder. As thus modifiedthe roller may be formed from seamless or other tubular stock instead ofbeing fashioned from a flat blank.

In either illustrated form of the roller, the gradual flare of theshoulders I is important in assuring that end thrust applied to one ofsuch shoulders in slipping the tube 3 in place will act compressively onthe roller rather than subjecting said tube to undue resistance.

What we claim is:

1. An appliance for painting and like operations, comprising a hollowroller slotted lengthwise to provide for its contraction and resilientlyresisting contraction, a pair of caps fitted over the extremities ofsaid roller and effecting a contraction of the roller, a shaft journaledin said caps, means on the shaft resisting disengagement of the capsfrom the roller, and a tubular work-engaging member proportioned to fitover and effect a further contraction of the roller.

2. An appliance for painting and like operations, as set forth in claim1, the roller having its extremities reduced in diameter for engagementby said caps, the exterior diameter of at least one of the caps beingpredeterminedly less than the diameter imposed by the caps on theunreduced portion of the roller.

3. An appliance for painting and like opera tions, as set forth in claim1, said roller having each of its extremities formed with a plurality ofnotches, effecting a circumferential distribution of the expansiveeffort of the roller.

4. An appliance for painting and like operations, as set forth in claim1, the roller having its extremities reduced in diameter for engagementby said caps, whereby the roller is formed with substantiallyfrusto-conical shoulders adjoining said extremities, each extremitybeing formed with at least one notch interrupting the adjacent shoulderfor diminishing the stiffening,

effect thereof, the exterior diameter of at least one of the caps beingpredeterminedly less than the diameter imposed by the caps on theunreduced portion of the roller.

5. An appliance for painting and like operations, as set forth in claim1, said caps having flanges embracing the roller extremities and suchflanges having their end portions progressively reduced in diameter toavoid obstructing the work-engaging member, as it is slid on the roller.

8 An appliance for painting and like operations, comprising a hollowroller slotted lengthwise to provide for its contraction and resilientlyresisting contraction, a shaft disposed axially oi. said roller, a meansfor mounting the roller on the shaft and additionally contracting theroller, and a tubular work-engaging member proportioned to fit over andeffect a further contraction of the roller.

'7. An appliance as set forth in claim 6, said roller having slots, oneextending from each end of the roller for more than one half the rollerlen th.

8. An appliance for painting and like operations, comprising a hollowroller slotted lengthwise to provide for its contraction and resilientlyresisting contraction, its extremities being reduced in diameter andsubstantially irusto-conlcal shoulders being formed at the Junctures ofsaid reduced extremities with the main body of the roller, a pair ofcaps fitted over said reduced extremities and effecting a contraction ofthe roller, the roller having a plurality of apertures interrupting eachshoulder for diminishing the stiffening effect thereof, and a tubularworkengaging member proportioned to fit over and eflect a furthercontraction of the roller, and to receive said caps in its end portions,the exteriordiameter of at least one of the caps being predeterminedlyless than the diameter imposed by the caps on the unreduced portion ofthe roller.

9. An appliance for painting and like operations, comprising a hollowroller slotted lengthwise to provide for its contraction, andresiliently resisting such contraction, a shaft disposed substantiallyaxially of said roller, a pair of elements engaged with the roller endsand mounting the roller on the shaft and including provisions forcontracting the roller, a tubular workengaging member fitted over andeffecting a, further contraction of the roller, and means on the shaftretaining said elements in cooperative relation to the roller.

10. An appliance for painting and like operations as set forth in claim9, said roller having gradual reductions in diameter in proximity tosaid paired elements, facilitating an endwise mounting of thework-engaging member on the roller.

11. An appliance for painting and like operations as set forth in claim9, said roller having gradual reductions in diameter in proximity tosaid paired elements, facilitating an endwise mounting of thework-engaging member on the roller, and being formed withcircumferentially spaced notches extending from its ends into theadjacent reductions, at least partially overcoming the stiffening effectof such reductions.

12. An appliance for painting and like operations as set forth in claim9, said provisions for contracting the roller including projections onsaid elements gripping and portions of the roller.

13. An appliance for painting and like operations as set forth in claim9, said elements substantially closing the roller ends.

14. An appliance for painting and like operations comprising a hollowroller slotted lengthwise to provide for its contraction and resilientlyresisting such contraction, a shaft disposed substantially axially ofsuch roller, a pair of elements engaged with the roller ends andmounting the roller rotatively on the shaft, a tubular work-engagingmember fitted over and maintainlng a contraction of the roller and heldin place by the expansive effort of the roller, the roller havinggradual reductions of its diameter in proximity to said paired elements,facilitating an endwise mounting oi. the work-engaging member on theroller, and means on the shaft retaining said elements in cooperativerelation to the roller.

15. An appliance for painting and like operations as set forth in claim14, the roller being formed at each end thereof with a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced notches extending from such end into theadjoining reduction and serving to at least partially overcome thestiffening effect of such reduction;

EARL E. THOMAS. STANDLY T. COUGHLAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number I Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Leckie Mar. 2, 1886Doehrer Sept. 20, 1904 Avram Mar. 1, 1910 Hallam June 25, 1912 GeigerJune 23, 1925 Sturgis Mar. 6, 1934 Harpootlian Mar. 11, 1941 TouchettSept. 16, 1947 Adams Oct. 14, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date GreatBritain Dec. 24, 1929 Great Britain Jan. '1, 1932 Great Britain Sept.10, 1934

